The content of the Internet is rapidly overcoming both its physical infrastructure and its existing content management mechanisms. In fact, it was recently announced that a major data center was to be built within several miles of a hydro-electric dam so that more power can be available for the data center. It is interesting to note that today's use of the Internet and content provisioning for Internet users have made voltage and power drop from a power source to a data center a significant loss that should be captured by relocating the data center.
Likewise, the management of Internet content is becoming a problem. Not only is the power needed to operate the required disks, but management of the content is a problem. A standard method of distributing content and providing more prompt access to the content by the user is called edge computing. Edge computing involves distributing computing resources throughout the network so that computing power and Internet content are “close” or in “proximity” to the user. This provides both faster access mechanisms to the user and provides more points of access to the content so that that access loads associated with the content can be spread out.
The problem is that more and more of content requires security access control processing, content manipulation processing, etc., such that the content needs to be manipulated in some manner at the edge rather than just made available. This is especially the case when certain kinds of markets are contemplated. For example, video on demand (VOD) may provide a discount for access to entertainment content if a user agrees to view several entertainment trailers. The user hopes to see the movie at a discount and the vendor hopes that the user will choose to watch one of the new movies as a result of watching the trailer. However, the processing resources needed, in relation to each unique offer as it applies to various content, provides a challenge for the vendor.
This need for more content and more computing power using a traditional data center model is outstripping the ability to provide resources. Even with the advent of multi-core Central Processing Units (CPU's) decreasing the draw on power and the production of heat; one still finds the content and processing densities increasing beyond an overload point.
Consequently, there is a need for improved edge computing with security-enhanced features.